1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to outdoor mailboxes, and more specifically, this invention relates to outdoor mailboxes having a provision for preventing theft or other unauthorized removal of mail from the mailboxes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outdoor mailboxes utilized in the past have generally been the so-called "rural" mailboxes found along any country road. These rural mailboxes have a generally domed shape with a front opening door pivoted at the bottom. The pivoted door fits over the portion of the mailbox body forming the frontal access opening, in order to prevent the elements from reaching the interior of the mailbox body. A flexible latching arrangement is provided at the top of the door in order to latch the door in the closed position.
These rural mailboxes are generally mounted on a pole or other supporting member at a height such that a mailman sitting in an automobile can open the door and insert mail into the body of the mailbox. A pivoted flag is located on the side of the box, so that the mailbox owner may indicate when there is mail to be picked up by the mailman. These rural mailboxes are generally mounted in a free standing fashion on individual mounting poles or supports.
One of the problems that has increased considerably in recent times is the theft of mail from private outdoor mailboxes. There are a number of factors that contribute to this problem, such as the growth in population, the greater mobility of young people as well as more serious thieves, and the lack of personal acquaintanceship. Another aspect of the problem of theft is that many new suburban housing developments are not providing for delivery of mail to the door of each house, but instead are utilizing outdoor mailboxes that are more easily accessible to the mailmen. These steps are strongly being urged by the United States Post Office Department, in an attempt to reduce the cost of mail delivery. Also, the "ganging" or assembly of a large number of outdoor mailboxes at a central location is being strongly urged upon suburban housing developers, as explained more fully in the co-pending patent application of Alexander M. Cornwell, Jr. entitled "Ganged Mail Box Apparatus", Ser. No. 812,373, filed on July 1, 1977.
From the standpoint of the Post Office Department, many of the theft problems have been alleviated for the pickup of mail by the use of the large domed collection boxes, as well as the smaller, usually pole mounted, type of collection box. Both of these types of collection boxes utilize a pivoted cover for a mail inserting slot, the slot being too small to prevent access for removal of mail in the boxes. The Post Office employees then come at designated collection times to remove the mail in the boxes for posting by opening an access door for which they have a key. While these collection boxes are quite useful, especially in the metropolitan and suburban areas for which they are intended, they are not completely satisfactory. Further, these collections boxes do not solve the problem of theft of delivered mail from the individually owned mailboxes. Therefore, it would be desirable to be able to give each individual mailbox owner protection of the mail delivered to him by the Post Office Department.
Mail slots formed in the doors of buildings, or a plurality of combined individual boxes in a common entry way, are sometimes useful, but they do not solve the problem of outdoor mailboxes, either individually mounted or ganged with a plurality of others. Therefore, there is a need for an outdoor mailbox that can provide protection of delivered mail and is suitable for use in both rural and suburban areas.